Words
This person is a hero to me. It has nothing to do with his amazing voice and music. It has to do with over 2,000 slaves whose freedom he bought.
This person is a hero to me. I like his books, but I like his straight talk on child abuse even better. Oh, and I would never, probably, have become a writer it he hadn't replied to a letter I wrote him after I read one of his books. But that's another story.
This person is NOT a hero to me. He never has been. And it's not because he really is a creep, or that he has now set up his children for problems later in life by the horrific example he set. It's that he plays a game. I can ADMIRE how he plays a game. But hero? Nope.
Words have great power. Don't believe me? Believe some of them:
"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." ~ Mother Teresa (1910-1997)
"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind."
~ Rudyard Kipling
"As societies grow decadent, the language grows decadent, too. Words are used to disguise, not to illuminate, action: you liberate a city by destroying it. Words are to confuse, so that at election time people will solemnly vote against their own interests."
~ Gore Vidal, writer
So what word or words do you find overused? Have we muddied words like hero so they have lost their real meaning? When you choose JUST the right word in your writing, how does it make you feel?
Namaste.
27 comments:
Curse words--spoken, written and sung.
It seems no character can be strong without them. In actuality it weakens them. Cursing just shows that the character, the author and the performer are not quick enough nor intelligent enough to express their thoughts clearly.
When people curse throughout a discussion I tend to disregard their ideas.
I bow right back to you.
I've become more conscious over the last 20 years or so in the way that advertisers and the media have corrupted language. We don't buy "used" cars any more, we buy "pre-owned." We don't go to "money managers" we go to "wealth managers."
Everything is "epic" or "awesome" to such an extent that they no longer mean anything. Sports "journalists" and business people are the worse, having taken the language of warfare and used it to be there own. How's this sentence? "Democrat Al Gore appeals to the Florida Supreme Court in what his lawyers say is likely to be the last stand in his battle for the presidency."
Or this headline: "Stock Market and Commodities LIkely To Rocket Up In A FInal Runaway Move," which has the opening line: "Last week I hypothesized that the markets are 'On the Brink of an Asset Explosion.'"
Although I appreciate good, vibrant language, I this its distorted.
I think politicians are the worst ... no word has been more abused in recent memory that "liberation." I think Gore Vidal had it right.
Here's another one that I've come to love recently: "indie publisher."
Maribeth:
I 100% disagree with you. While I agree that often curse words used in real life can be a shortcut or can reveal something about the person saying them, the fact is when characters use them in movies, plays, or books, it very often is intentional and reflects a reality. Most people would find THE DEPARTED for example, to be crude in terms of the cursing, but it is true to the streets and to the characters, who aren't choir boys. No cursing would mean a false depiction.
I would say the same for certain (CERTAIN) rap artists, slam poets . . . they are depicting a truth of life on the streets. It may not be YOUR truth, it may not be middle class truth, but it is nonetheless REAL and honest (again, it depends on the performer) and is an art. To dismiss out of hand all ideas that are not white, say, or middle class, or educated, because of language is to me, narrow-minded and reflects a cultural mindset.
I understand that in real life we all may react to cursing in different ways, but I think it's too blanket a viewpoint, just in my own opinion.
Mark:
As a writer, I often am really amused by some writing like that. Like the snake oil salesman of old, I can see right through it. LOL!
I have two teenagers. The current word is "fail." Everything that is in the least bit off whether it is a flaw, accident, misspoken word, image, nonwitty comeback, politician they don't agree with...Fail.
However, failed grades are referred to as F's.
Lurker:
I agree. With nearly all "liberations" are scores of civilian dead. As a pacifist, I really abhor the political language of war.
Richmond Writer:
Ahh, yes . . . "fail" is used in this house, too. I actually love hearing new slang. It amuses me.
E
Hi Erica,
First of all, in response to your comment on use of curse words, THANK YOU! I would have responded in much the same way, except I would have probably cursed :-)
I can't quite get your last quote out of my head, "... to liberate a city means to destroy it" - talk about putting words together in a way that makes a poignant statement. Words are powerful. It's the intent of the speaker and their ability to convey that makes it either dangerous or inspirational. Then, too, there's the perspective of the listener, because for me, I notice an awful lot of people turning quotes to serve their own purposes.
Another very thoughtful post.
Merry:
Thanks. I really try to respect a variety of opinions on the matter, so it's not like I want to dismiss out of hand the idea Maribeth expressed. But it's like the difference between THE DEPARTED and something like MICKEY BLUE EYES. You just can't create a real vision of certain elements of society without altering the language to reflect the streets.
And yeah, I've always loved the Vidal quote.
I love words.
All words, curse words included. They can express emotion, set up the character or enviornment.
I think they are all good but can be spoiled by the way they are used. Mark hit the nail on the head.
One thing I hate is when they make a statement and then end it with the word "NOT". Pet peeve, I know but it annoys the crap out of me.
Hi Aimless:
I think of Patrick Henry, or Abraham Lincoln--eloquent men who inspired. I love the power of words. And then in fiction, they create worlds . . .
Pre-owned, pre-published; pre-anything that used to be something else. I also think the word author gets overused. When I see the word, author, I used to assume that person associated with it had published a book or had a book deal which would result in a book coming out. But more and more I see it referred to anyone who writes. And to me, that's confusing.
Words have incredible power. Especially the words that we pull into our own heads and let roll around in there. They can be toxic or motivating, help us die or grow.
And, I overuse effusive praise on the internet. I try to refrain, but everything is always awesome, or fantastic. Things really can't always be that great! But, oh well. There are worse things, I suppose.
Paul:
Interesting, because I have the same perception of the word. The dictionary doesn't draw a distinction. I tend to think of "writer" as anyone who writes and "author" as someone who has published a book for a third-party publisher. Sometimes, I feel like sticking "freelance" or "professional" in front of "writer" draws a distinction for me, as in, this person gets paid for this skill. But I realize because I am IN the biz, I draw distinctions based on my own experiences of professionalism.
Heather:
Generally, I am from the "if you can't say anything nice . . ." category, so I try to be positive as well.
I'm also not motivated, for example, to write a so-so review of something, nor would I be motivated to write a negative review, but I would be happy to effusively praise something I really like.
Another brain-cramping post. Cool beans, Erica! Wayfuckincoolbeans!
"Socialist" is a word I feel muddied, overused and its concept misunderstood. Sadly and ironically, humanitarianism is lost on our predominately Christian society.
Beautiful post. I agree, words can be very powerful.
When I choose just the right word, or the perfect last sentence to an article, I get excited and clap my hands. Funny, I know, but there is something so exciting about hitting it just right.
Well there is two words that I DEFINITELY(But Happily) over use... One starts with an "F" and the other is "Geriatric"! :)
kath:
I totally agree on the "socialist" word. I think "Christian" has become muddied, frankly, as some of the people spouting it seem to have NO resemblance to the man who broke bread with sinners.
Nadine:
Amen to just the right ending or just the right piece!
BLD:
I overuse a few words . . . I go through phases. :-)
Erica, AMEN.
I love finding the right word. I'm actually delighted when I do.
Kerfluffle
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